


The Arcanist

by RedEris



Series: Mixed Gems [7]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-27 12:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6284899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedEris/pseuds/RedEris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Solas meets Dagna.  Written for the Tumblr prompt "Solas--surprise".</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Arcanist

Solas is not adverse to surprises–far from it, discovering things he had not previously imagined is one of the greatest and most constant joys in his life. There are surprises and surprises, though–there’s unexpectedly coming across a lovely flower you had thought gone from the world, and there’s revelations out of thin air when you thought you had accounted for everything and knew what to expect, knew how things would play out. In Solas’ long–very long–experience, this second type is so very rarely good.

He knew what to expect of today. The Inquisitor was away, and with her Dorian, so a great deal of the disruptive element in his life was thus accounted for. He already had a task–preparing a report on weaknesses in the Veil–and Lady Montilyet would not likely allow anyone to intrude on that work in an official capacity. Of those remaining in the fortress, most either actively avoided the strange elven apostate or had little to say to him, and so he was safely set for a “boring” day of study, ensconced at his desk with a light snack for later.

“The pigment is bonded right into the plaster, isn’t it? Amazing! You must have the whole image so firmly in your head before you begin.” The voice broke into his concentration, bubbling with enthusiasm, with no preamble whatsoever. “I’ve never seen anything else like these murals, and I’ve been a lot of different places now. Where did you learn? You must have spent just years and years, because everything’s so clean and sure. Really wonderful!”

Solas set aside his book and rose to greet this strange apparition–a dwarf woman, both arms loaded with a strange assortment of arcane equipment, things he recognized as runecrafting tools, and a worn sheaf of papers.

“Thank you. I learned in my youth, far from here. It is not likely you would have traveled there. I’m afraid you have the advantage of me, though.”

“Oh I’m so sorry, I always get too excited. I’m Dagna. Arcanist Dagna now, I guess!” She transferred the precarious collection to one arm and extended a hand in greeting. “I have questions–so many questions–and I heard you might be able to help with some of them. Is it okay if I…just…” And without waiting for his answer, she began carefully setting out her assortment on his desk.

He had to work harder to avoid suspicion that day than on almost any since he had joined the Inquisition. Several times, he was saved from outright lying only by ignoring a question entirely, but there were so many that it was fairly easy to distract her on to new and safer queries. Sometimes, her insight cut almost dangerously close to truths she should have had no knowledge of. She stayed all afternoon, and left only after extracting a promise that he would come to the Undercroft the next day to continue their discussion.

After she left, he sat very still for a while, making no pretense of study as he thought. Clearly, dwarves were a blind spot in his worldview, and one he had let persist for too long. Varric, he supposed, would tell him that he already knew that, but this was now not one but two dwarves who defied his every expectation of them. 

At last he marked the page he had been failing to read, closed his book, and rose. Perhaps the dwarf who curated the carved panels they’d begun finding–what was his name, Gatto? No, Gatsi–was interested in discussing his craft over dinner, artist to artist. If something continues to surprise you, you must learn to account for it.


End file.
